Father and Son
by Marie S Zachary
Summary: Discontinued Benji feels guilty about something he has done which was not his fault . Monk assures him it's not his fault. Later Benji makes a discovery. This leads to an adventure of a lifetime. Rated k for cursing and a little violence.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Benji or Monk or any orginal character in the story. The only characters I own are my own characters

* * *

Benji came home from school one day in a really bad mood. He had a really rough day and he suspected it wasn't about to get easier. To his pleasant surprise Monk was there. Monk had become like a father to him ever since the vacation.

"Hey kiddo," he said hugging him

"Hi"

"Rough day?"

"It couldn't have gotten worse if it tried. Everything that could go wrong did"

"Yeah," Monk said nodding, "that sounds like a rough day."

After a minute of silence he said, "do you feel like talking about it"

"Actually," Benji replied, "I have to… but I don't want you to hate me-"

Monk put his hands on Benji's shoulders.

"Benj, you may not biologically be my son but I love you as a father would love his son and NOTHING you can do could make me hate you or feel any other way about you other then love"

"You do love me?"

"It's impossible not to love you"

"Well," Benji began, "it all started 4 years ago. Someone came up to me-"

"Before we get into that," Monk replied, "How about some ice cream"

"Yeah," Benji smiled, "ice cream sounds good"

½ an hour later they were settled down with the ice cream.

"When I was eight-years-old," Benji began, "some guy came up to me and said he locked his keys in his car and could he borrow my pocket knife to open the window so he could get the keys out of the car-"

"What were you doing with a pocket knife," Monk asked

"I was in Boy Scouts," Benji explained, "and I had just got home from a camping trip."

"Oh"

Monk had to bite back comments about how camping grounds were filthy and instead said, "you know I was a boy scout when I was that age"

"Really? Cool! Anyway so the guy opened the door and he put something in the car. It looked like a red balloon but it was stuffed"

"A stuffed red balloon?"

"The man handed me back my pocket knife back and handed me $100 and said thank you. I didn't think anything of it at the time. I was excited about getting the $100"

"I can understand that," Monk said fighting the urge to ask what this had to do with anything about today. He knew Benji would get to it.

"Today," Benji began, "I was in history class and my teacher was talking about a bomb that was… done in a methodical way having to do with a boy scout pocket knife and a red stuffed balloon and-"

Benji was in tears. Monk pulled Benji into his arms and hugged him to himself.

"It's okay buddy," Monk told him

"No it's not," Benji sobbed, "she's dead because I was an idiot and couldn't figure out that this guy was bad news"


	2. Chapter 2

Monk looked at a sobbing Benji and felt like crying himself.

"The person you loved," Benji said, "wouldn't be dead if it weren't for me"

"Let's get one thing straight," Monk told him, "she's not dead because you were an innocent 8-year-old boy that tried to help out a guy that you had no reason to believe was on the up 'n' up. She's dead because some JACKASS SON OF A BITCH decided to commit this revolting act called murder. You didn't do anything wrong sweet boy"

"Are you sure," Benji asked

"I never thought it was possible to hate that man any more but now I hate him double."

"So you're not gonna get mad," Benji asked

"At you no," Monk replied, "at that jackass… well all I can say is by the time I'd done with him he'll wish HE were the one in the car instead of Trudy"

Just then the door opened and Sharona came in.

She looked frustrated like she always looked when she was about to get mad.

"Don't," Monk commented, "he had a rough day"

"Why what happened," she asked her face changing into one of concern.

Monk filled her in on what happened.

"SON OF A BITCH," Shorona yelled.

"Yeah," Monk commented, "exactly what I'm thinking"

"How could someone do that… take advantage of a little kid like that? What a son of a bitch!"

"Benji," Monk asked, "do you remember anything about this guy?"

"Yeah… a little bit but I can tell you what I remember"

"Please," Monk asked

"Okay well he was tall… at least 6'7—6'8. He had a red stuffed balloon. He had salt and pepper hair and a dark black mustache. He was black but light black and he talked with a southern twang"

"Was there anything unusual about him baby," Sharona asked

"He may have been missing a finger," Benji replied, "he was wearing gloves and there was no finger in the 3rd finger on one of the hands… I don't remember if it was the left or the right"

"That's okay Benj," Monk said, "you're doing great. Do you remember if he was young or old?"

"He was about 37 or 38," Benji said, "so I thought that was old at the age of 8"

Monk and Sharona shared a smile. Most little boys would think that was old.

"Do you remember if he was methodical in opening the window," Monk asked

"Methodical?"

"Slowly… carefully"

"Actually," Benji said, "he was in a hurry. He said that he had an appointment"

"Do you remember anything else," Monk pressed gently

"I told you all I know," Benji said upset, "I'm sorry if I wasn't much help"

"You were more help then you know," Monk told him putting an arm around him.


	3. Chapter 3

Three days later Benji came home from school and sat down heavily on the sofa.

"You okay Benji," Monk asked concerned, "you look as though you saw a ghost."

"No," Benji told him, "a ghost would make sense. There is absolutely no sense in what I saw"

Monk sat next to him.

"What did you see?"

"Well there's no easy way to say this so I'm going to just come right out and say it"

"Sounds like a good plan"

"You might find this of a… surprising nature and you will either believe me or not. I didn't even believe me at first"

"Benji-"

"I mean you have to believe me. I love you and I would not make it up. I saw her as clear as I see you right now"

"Who," Monk asked gently

"T-T-T-T-T-T-"

"Its okay son," Monk said gently, "who did you see"

Benji closed his eyes for a minute before answering.

Then he lifted his eyes to meet Monk's and responded in one word… in barely a whisper.

"Trudy," Benji answered


	4. Chapter 4

"Benji," Monk asked, "are you absolutely sure"

"I recognized her from the picture you showed me. She had shoulder length blonde hair… bit of a wave. Her head was oval shaped. I could smell the strawberry shampoo and lilac lotion from there."

"Do you remember how tall she was," Monk asked

"She looked about your height… maybe a little shorter maybe a little taller. She had this incredible smile. She looked scared yet still had a smile of assurance on her face. It was like saying she knew everything was going to be alright

**Flashback**

_Adrian and Trudy had only been married for a year when she started getting horrible headaches. They got so bad sometimes she couldn't even get out of bed. Often times he would call into the Police Department sick so he could stay home and take care of her. After about a week when they weren't getting better he insisted she make an appointment with her doctor._

"_Just to make sure everything is okay," he assured her_

_She was sure everything was okay but just to be extra certain and to make him feel better she went. He took the day off and went with her. _

"_Adrian my darling," she said with a smile that told him she was scared but trying to reassure him, "it is just a headache. It could be from allergies or maybe the nightly routine just needs a break"_

_He could tell she wasn't being manipulative but trying to be funny so he wouldn't worry and he laughed without humor._

_The doctor took her vitals and did some blood work__. She then sent her and Adrian back home with the clear instructions to take it easy for at least 3 days and not to overdo it. Routine was fine as long as it didn't get cumbersome. Trudy would need a lot of rest and plenty of fluids. _

"_See," Trudy said, "that's not so bad"_

_That night before everything started the phone rang. Trudy picked it up._

"_Hello? Just about to…why? Well what does that mean?"_

_Adrian saw Trudy was getting extremely upset and put a hand on her shoulder to calm her. _

"_Thank you," she said, "we'll be in as soon as possible"_

_Then she hung up. _

"_That was Dr. Goodwoman on the phone," Trudy said, "my blood levels came back. It's indicative of a possible brain tumor"_

_In the whole time that Adrian knew Trudy she rarely cried. It wasn't __even her fate that she was crying over. She knew if she had a brain tumor which she very well might she might die. She knew if she died she would go to heaven there was no doubt about that but for a time Adrian would be left behind. She knew that would kill him._

_He opened his arms and pulled her into them comforting her as best he could with his own heart breaking. _

"_Honey," he told her, "this is probably just some big misunderstanding. __I can almost guarantee that when all is said and done we'll be laughing about this and saying 'remember when they thought you were sick'"_

_She smiled the smile she always gave him when he was scared or upset or doubting himself to give him courage. _

"_We need to get going to NGH," she told him_

_NGH was the hospital that her doctor worked at._

"_I know," he said gently__._

_45 minutes later they were there. After what seemed like an eternity of filling out paperwork, signing forms and the like the doctor came out to great them. _

"_I'm so sorry," she said, "but let's get to the bottom of this"_

_"Great," Trudy said now feeling enthusiastic_

"_Some of these tests may and will be painful but think of it like the challenges… only not literally unless you are thinking of it literally but that's not up to me to say… I mean if it was-"_

"_DOCTOR," Adrian said with a slightly raised voice, "please continue"_

_He didn't want to be rude but his wife could be suffering from a fatal disease and the last thing he needed was for this discussion to take place at this moment. He really didn't care about any of that at the time and frankly it really wasn't anything that either of them had been thinking about._

_"I'm sorry," the doctor said, "anyway if you think of it as the challenges it will make it easier for you. The idea is to find out what's wrong with you and to make you better"_

"_I like that idea," Trudy said with a slight giggle__, "and I like what you said"_

_She looked at Adrian who simply nodded in response. _

"_May I come with her during the tests," he asked_

_"Of course," the doctor replied, "but you need to wear a germ free suit and a mask. She cannot be subjected to germs right now"_

_The doctor tossed him the scrubs and Adrian who was afraid of germs anyway was only too delighted to put them on. _

_Several hours later the tests were done. Every time a wave of pain hit her Adrian cried out but she looked at him with that reassuring smile that said "it will pass soon"_

_"Why," the doctor asked, "do you cry out when she's the one hurting"_

"_Because when she's hurting," he explained, "it hurts me.__"_

"_I can imagine what kind of father you'd be," the doctor said_

"_Not everyone is exactly alike," Monk told her catching her tone, "and just because 'everyone' is doing it doesn't mean you have to. If everyone jumps off a bridge does that mean you should?"_

_The doctor laughed. _

"_My mom," she explained, "used to say the same thing when I would say 'but everyone else is doing it"_

"_So did my mom," Trudy said, "and she had some very specific ideas of what she thought was right and wrong"_

_Adrian could tell Trudy was trying to distract herself from the fear and the pain she was feeling right now. _

_He tenderly stroked her hair._

_7 hours later the tests came back. She __**did **__have a large tumor in her brain causing her to need chemo, radiation and __surgery. Despite the horrible pain that she would feel every day from the chemo, the recovery from the surgery the burns from the radiation and all the other symptoms she would feel she would give him that innocent smile to reassure him it would be alright. _

_That's Trudy alright, Monk_ replied, _but that would mean she's in danger._

"Come on," Monk told Benji, "we have an adventure to go on." 


	5. Chapter 5

Sharona got home about 9 o'clock.

"Benji I'm home sweetie"

No answer.

"Benji?"

She walked into the living room and saw a note.

_Took Benji with me… should be back in a few days maybe a week or so_

_Adrian_

Monk was on the train when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKEN MIND"

"Sharona nice to hear from you too"

"WHAT THE HELLS DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOIN' TAKIN' MY KID WITHOUT TELLIN' ME"

"Look," Monk said, "I had to. Benji saw Trudy"

"BENJI SA- WHADAYAMEAN BENJI SAW TRUDY. WHAT THE HELL IS HE… THE LITTLE BOY FROM 6TH SENSE—I SEE DEAD PEOPLE"

"No Sharona listen to me. She's not actually dead"

"Neat freak obsessed man say what," Sharona asked

"Trudy it would seem is alive"

Once again Sharona's voice got loud

"IT WOULD SEEM? IT WOULD SEEM! YOU TOOK MY SON OFF TO GOD KNOWS WHERE ONNA HUNCH. TELL ME IF IT COMES DOWN TO HER OR HIM WHO YOU GONNA PICK HUH? ANSWER ME THAT!"

"It's not going to come down to that," Monk told Sharona.

"WHAT? YOU CAN SEE INTO THE FUTURE NOW OR SOMETHIN'?"

"Somewhat… I can see that you're going to get mad most likely at me"

"GEE YA THINK," she asked sarcastically,

"But you don't have to get mad," he explained

"YA TOOK MY SON GOD KNOWS WHERE ON A HUNCH"

"It wasn't a hunch. Benji saw her"

"YEAH AND IF BENJI SAW SPIDER-MAN ALSO WOULD YOU TAKE OFF AFTER SPIDER-MAN"

"Sharona this is my wife we're talking about and I know she must be in some kind of danger. I'm doing what I **have** to do"

"HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW THIS… AND IF THAT'S TRUE THEN AIN'T YOU PUTTIN' BENJI IN DANGER"

"No… trust me I know what I'm doing," Monk concluded

"I feel completely reassured," Sharona said sarcastically but by then Monk had hung up


	6. Chapter 6

The boy was dreaming. In his dreams he was by the ocean with a beautiful woman. She was an older woman. She had blonde hair and eyes bluer then the bluest sea. Just when she leaned into kiss him he woke up.

"Oh puppies," he said

"What's up," Monk asked smiling

"I was having a great dream and I woke up"

"Man… I know what that's like. Every time I would dream of Trudy I would hate to wake up

"What was your dream about," Monk asked

"You'd hate me if you knew," Benji replied but laughingly

"I think someone has a little crush on someone else"

Benji flushed 3 shades of red.

"How did you know?"

"Um… well that, 'you would hate me if you knew comment was a clue plus the fact that you just blushed three different shades of red. Actually," he added ruffling Benji's hair, "I think it's adorable"

"Want to hear a riddle," Benji asked changing the subject.

"Sure," Monk replied, "let's hear it"

"Okay… Pete and repeat were in a boat… when Pete fell of who was left"

Monk thought for a minute. That riddle drove him crazy so he came up with his own answer.

"Nobody because when Pete fell off repeat jumped in after him"

"Sounds like repeat's an awesome friend," Benji said, "just like you"

Tears filled Monk's eyes at the high and what he thought was undeserved compliment.

"Thank you Benji," he said, "that means a lot to me."

Benji's stomach growled.

"You must be hungry"

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"Your stomach growled," Monk explained, "not so much of a mystery"

Benji giggled. Monk bought him a hot dog and a side of fries from the dinning cart on the train.

"You always know what I like"

There was a moment of silence then Benji spoke.

"Mr. Monk?"

"Adrian you mean"

"How do you know if you're really in love or if it's just puppy love?"

"Is she a puppy," he joked

After a minute of silence he said, "when you really love someone they come first"


	7. Chapter 7

**Flashback**

_Adrian had reluctantly__ gone back to work. He didn't want to be Trudy insisted it was important for their lives not to focus on her illness. The doctor made it clear that the more she concentrated on everyday normal life the quicker she would recover. __That day he __had just come back from lunch when she was brought in… in handcuffs. His eyes bulged to the top of his head._

_"EXCUSE ME," he said in a not so polite tone to the arresting officer, "what in the hell do you think you're doing"_

"_Monk," the captain said, "calm down"_

"_C-calm down. How the hell am I supposed to calm down? My wife is in handcuffs and I know she didn't do anything"_

_"No technically she didn't but she is a suspect in the Good-sense case. She was seen leaving the restaurant right before the murder"_

"_YEAH __HER AND ABOUT 140 OTHER PEOPLE WERE SEEN LEAVING THE RESTAURANT RIGHT BEFORE THE MURDER. I DON'T SEE 139 OTHER PEOPLE HERE"_

"_It was easiest to start with her," Randy explained__, "besides she was wearing a red bracelet and the bracelet was found next to the body and she's not wearing a bracelet _

_"It fell off," she argued, "I didn't realize until a little while ago"_

"_It's__ ridiculous to even think that," Adrian screamed about to have a fit. He couldn't believe they would suspect his wife of doing anything un-pure. In his eyes she was and always would be perfect. _

"_Look, it's a quarter to one," he said, "and she has a chemo appointment in 30 minutes AND it takes 45 minutes to get there with traffic"_

_"I'm sorry," Randy said, "but someone needs to be in those handcuffs"_

"_Fine," he said grabbing the key from Randy and removing the cuffs from her, "then put them on me"_

"_Monk," the Captain pointed out, "you're afraid of those things"_

"_I really," he said closing the first part of it, "don't care. I will NOT have my wife in handcuffs"_

_Randy sighed and helped him close the other part of it._

"_I'm sorry," he mouthed._

_After Trudy left for her chemo session the Captain asked, "so you really believe she's innocent"_

"_Of course she's innocent," he insisted_

"_You have to admit," the captain said, "all signs point to her.__"_

_"I don't think so," __Adrian __said, "but even if they do that doesn't mean she did it"_

"_Monk you're not thinking clearly"  
"Oh I'm thinking VERY clearly,"_

"_Okay," the captain said, "but those cuffs don't come off until you figure out who really did it or admit that she was the one"_

**Flashback ends**

"Wow," Benji said amazed, "and you stayed in those handcuffs for…"

"3 days," Monk told him, "that was how long it too to find the real killer"

"You're awesome," Benji told him

Monk laughed and told Benji he was pretty awesome himself

The train stopped and Harold got on


	8. Chapter 8

"Adrian," Harold said

"Harold"

Monk nodded to him and Harold sat down next to Monk.

"We need to talk," Harold said

"Benji why don't you go into the dining room and get yourself a nice piece of chocolate cake," Monk suggested

Benji loved chocolate cake and you didn't have to tell him twice. Once he was gone Monk turned to Harold.

"What do you want," Monk asked

"I want us to be friends again," Harold replied.

Monk rolled his eyes.

"After what you did," Monk asked, "I should be friends with you after what you did. Let me think no"

"Adrian I get thousands of orders for thousands of things every day. Am I supposed to actually read it before signing off on it?"

"Again let me think… YES"

Harold groaned in frustration

"If I KNEW what I was signing I never would have signed it"

"That's just wrong on so many levels," Monk said

"Don't you think I felt bad about what happened?"

"It wouldn't have happened if you had taken the time to read what you were signing."

"Come on… who does that"

"Anyone with half a brain"

"Reading the orders is time consuming," Harold said

"This stupid conversation is time consuming," Monk replied

"I just think you should forgive me"

"Put yourself in my shoes," Monk said, "do you think you'd be so quick to forgive me?"

"Right away"

"You would not," Monk replied, "you would be furious. You would have felt like I stole something from you."

"Okay but I miss our friendship"

"Yeah," Monk said, "and I miss my wife. I wouldn't have to miss her and you wouldn't have to miss our friendship if you hadn't acted like an idiot. You would have realized-"

"Okay I get it," she said, "but it's not like you've never done anything stupid. Maybe if you haven't done what you did or have done what you didn't do it wouldn't have happened."

Monk saw Benji coming back.

"We can talk later," Monk said

Harold sighed

"Fine"

"Hey," Benji said, "I got a piece of cake for you too"


	9. Chapter 9

"Thanks kiddo," Monk said ruffling his hair

After a minute of silence Monk spoke again.

"You know Benji," he said, "you asked me a good question before. What I didn't tell you is that there were all sorts of different kinds of love. Just because it's one kind of love as opposed to another doesn't make it any less real"

Benji was quiet for a minute.

"Have you ever done something that when you looked back at it you wouldn't have done if you knew then what you know now?"  
"Of course," Monk told Benji, "everyone does and if they say they don't they're either GOD, physco or lying"

Benji giggled at that assessment.

"Well it's true," Monk explained, "why is there something you regretted doing?"

"You mean aside from what I told you about?"

"Yes because that wasn't wrong"

"I'm sure there was," Benji said, "but when you're a kid you know 3 things. You know to trust. You know to trust and-"

"Wait don't tell me… let me guess—you know to trust"

Benji giggled but then got serious.

"Exactly. You know your mommy is good. You know your daddy is good so when a grown up tells you to do something you think the grown-up is good too"

"Benji," Monk said, "it is the job of an adult to know better then to deceive a child"

"I know that now," he said, "but I didn't know it back then"

Monk's cell phone rang.

"Hello?"  
"What the hell do you think you're doing hanging up?"

"Have you calmed down," Monk asked Sharona.

"Ha-have I calmed down. Put yourself in my damn shoes. How would you feel?"

"Clumsy," Monk joked, "because you were high heels"

"You can't see this but I am so glaring at you right now"

"How are you glaring at me if I can't see it?"  
"GOD Adrian you are so literal. That's an expression"

"That doesn't make a lot of sense, hardly any really"

"STOP BEING SO DAMN LITERAL"

"Hey I know what will cheer you up. How about if I put Benji on the phone. Huh? That'd cheer you up"

"It'll keep me from killing you," Sharona said


	10. Chapter 10

"Okay Sharona calm down. I'm going to put him on now"

Monk handed Benji the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi sweetie"

"Oh hey mom," Benji said excitedly, "I'm on a train now"

"That sounds like fun"

"It is fun."

"Is Adrian taking good care of you?"

"Yes-huh," Benji replied, "really good"

Sharona smiled. She knew that he was excited to be on a train. Benji had never been on a train before.

"Where are you guys going," she asked

"Well we're getting off in New York," Benjy explained, "and I'm not sure yet where the next stop is.

"Mr. Monk says we need to follow the trail of clues. This is really cool and really exciting"

"I know it is sweetie," Sharona said smiling, "put Adrian back on. I love you"

"I love you too mom," Benji said before putting Monk back on the phone.

"Hello?"

"You listen to me and you listen carefully," Sharona said, "you take care of him and if it comes down to him or her, you save him do you hear me. He's not even 12 years old yet. Do I make myself clear?"

"Sharona-"

"DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

"Perfectly but it's not going to come down to that. You can trust me"

"Oh yeah because ya did so much ta earn my trust. You'll be lucky if I don't whack the crap outta you when you get back"

Monk could understand Sharona being angry. After all what Monk did could loosely be considered kidnapping. Still it was something he had to do. Trudy's well-being depended on it. He lost her once and he sure as hell was not going to loose her again.

"When we get back," Monk said, "I'll take whatever you feel I have coming. Right now I need to focus on Trudy"

"How do you know she wasn't-"

"Something's going on," Monk explained, "I know if it weren't and I know that it is"

"Well just be careful," Sharona said, "I love you… as a friend of course and you have my son with you"


	11. Chapter 11

As Sharona hung up the phone Monk shook his head lost in thought.

"Mr. Monk," Benji asked, "is something wrong"

Benji had once made the mistake of asking a girl who was hysterical if she was okay. The girl had snapped and asked him if she looked like she was okay. That was when Benji learned boys and girls are different and not to ask a person who clearly isn't okay if they're okay.

Monk looked up and smiled at him reassuringly.

"No Benji everything is fine. I guess I just got lost in thought"

"My mom is upset right now," Benji said, "but I know she'll calm down. I think she's just upset about what's going on but I don't think she'll end up getting mad… she never gets mad"

"Does that bother you kiddo," he asked noting sadness in Benji's voice.

"No… it's just that I felt like an awful person since I found out that I was responsible for what almost happened"

"Benji look at me," he told him firmly

Benji lifted his eyes to meet Monk's.

"You were an innocent child."

"I was eight"

"Exactly. It is the responsibility of an adult to know better then to deceive a child"

"Yes but none of this would have happened-"

"None of it would have happened if this 'person' and I use the word person very loosely had not done this"

"What are you guys talking about," Harold asked

Monk scribbled something on a piece of paper and handed it to Harold. It read _this is an a and b conversation so c your way out of it__,_


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I own Caylynne and Ari

At the next stop a very good friend of Adrian's got on. Her name was Caylynne. Growing up they were practically brother and sister. Caylynne was married to a wonderful man named Ari. Ari wasn't on the train at this time.

"Adrian," she smiled, "what are you doing here"

Adrian explained the situation.

"How about you," he asked, "Where's Ari?"

"I'll be meeting up with Ari tonight," Caylynne frowned, "We needed some time apart"

"Would it be too personal to ask the reason?"

Caylynne smiled.

"Yes but I don't mind answering," she said, "we had a bit of a fight the other day"

"His fault," Adrian asked

"Neither of us were at fault," Caylynne said, "it was just a misunderstanding. He had said something joking around but it really upset me"

Adrian looked thoughtful for a minute.

"Why did it upset you," Benji asked, "if he was just joking around?"

"Smart kid you have there," Caylynne smiled at Benji, "and the reason it upset me was because I didn't know how he would act if it was really real instead of a joke"

"Oh," Benji said, "that makes sense"

"Is he your son," Caylynne asked Adrian

"No he's Sharona's son," Adrian said, "but I love him like he's mine."

"So he is your son in your heart," Caylynne pointed out.

"Exactly," Adrian said, "and I notice you look like you're going to have a son or daughter"

"Yes I'm due in 13 weeks," Caylynne said with a smile, "we already know it's a girl. Ari is thrilled and so am I but his Uncle is disappointed"

"Why," Benjy asked, "isn't the important thing that the baby is healthy?"

"Yes," Caylynne said smiling, "but there's a tradition that says that the responsibility of the job that now Ari has and before his father had is passed down from father to first son. Ari says it doesn't matter though. His son when he has one will make his own decisions. That didn't sit too well with Ari's uncle"

"Well that's too bad," Benji said, "your first son will have a mind of his own. That's something your uncle-in-law should be proud of"

Caylynne laughed.

"I completely agree with you," she said

"I'm Benji by the way"

"Nice to meet you Benji by the way," Caylynne teased.

Benji giggled.

"No I mean my name is Benji," he laughed, "Benjamin actually but my friends call me Benji. So does my mom. So does everyone else"


	13. Chapter 13

Benji was tired. He wasn't feeling well either. Adrian checked. He had a light fever. It was 101.3.

_Sharona is going to kill me, _he thought to himself. He already knew she was going to get mad at him. He would have expected no less.

Instinctively Monk took out an Advil and handed it to Benji with a soda.

"No," said someone next to him, "You don't want to give him a soda. That's not good for what he has"

"And you are," Monk asked

"I'm Ruth," she said, "and I'm a healer."

"I have to be honest with you Ruth. I don't believe in mumbo jumbo"

"Well luckily," Ruth said, "My healing doesn't include 'mumbo' or 'jumbo' so you're in luck"

Adrian sighed.

"And you're sure none of your healing mumbo jumbo will make him sicker?"

"Like I said," Ruth said, "It's neither mumbo nor jumbo"

Adrian looked thoughtful for a minute.

"What would you recommend," he asked.

Ruth got out some salts and ice water.

"I thought you said this doesn't involve mumbo jumbo"

"It doesn't"

"Then what's with the salt and the ice water"

"The salt has a healing mineral and the ice water will cool him off"

"I'm not sure I can afford to pay you," Adrian said

"I neither need you to nor want you to," Ruth replied.

"Then what do you expect in return for doing this," Adrian asked. He was a bit of a suspicious person. He never thought it was likely that anyone would do anything for no reason."

"Nothing," Ruth said putting the salt on Benji's neck, "Just pay it forward"

"Pay it forward?"

"Do something nice for someone else," she explained, "and tell them to pay it forward"


	14. Chapter 14

The train stopped in another station. By then Benjy was feeling better. Monk's phone rang. It was Sharona.

"Adrian," she said, "Let me talk with Benjy"

"You spoke to him less then a day ago"

"ADRIAN LET ME TALK TO MY SON," Sharona said.

"He's sleeping," Adrian said, "He was sick earlier"

"What do you mean he was sick earlier"

"It wasn't a big deal. It was just a light fever and the sniffles. But he's sleeping now. I'll have him call you back when he wakes up."

Sharona sighed.

"You're still in big trouble," she told Monk, "You know that right?"

"Once Trudy's back-"

"Adrian this isn't about Trudy," Sharona said, "Believe it or not the world doesn't revolve around Trudy"

"You're wrong," Monk said, "My world does"

"It doesn't matter," Sharona said, "I'm **still **going to have to get mad at you at least once"

"No not once," he said horrified, "make sure it's twice"

"Twice. Why twice?"

"Even numbers," Monk explained


	15. Chapter 15

Sharona sighed. She was furious with Adrian. He had done something stupid. He put Benjy at risk because Trudy 'might' be alive. At the same time she knew that she would forgive him. For one thing getting mad at him wouldn't make a hell of a difference. He wouldn't even be affected by it if Trudy were alive. If she wasn't he would be so distraught it would be punishment enough. She knew that she should-"

"Sharona?"

Randy broke into her thoughts.

"Hey," she said

"Look Benjy's going to be fine. He is with Monk and Monk is a strong guy. He's our best"

Sharona sighed.

"Are you still angry with him," Leland asked, "I know things aren't really that great with you two right now"

"He's clueless. He thinks the world revolves around Trudy.

"To him it does," Leland said, "But your world revolves around Benjy"

"Yeah. And he talks in a way that infuriates people. I mean did you hear how he spoke to me last year. He actually expected me to listen. He talks down to people with no regards for how anyone else feels and I love him. He's my best friend. I want to get mad at him but I know I won't. I can't"


End file.
